Digital friction enhancing device



1968 F. M. NEUGART DIGITAL FRICTION ENHANCING DEVICE Filed Nov. 4, 1966 INVENTOR. fR/Y/HVD I! A/ea mff BY WWW Unitcd States Patent O 3,406,658 DIGITAL FRICTION ENHANCING DEVICE Fernando M. Neugart, 32-21 37th St., Astoria, N.Y. 11103 Filed Nov. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 592,010 6 Claims. (Cl. 118-264) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a device, and'particularly a portable device, for increasing the coefiicientof friction of the digits, and particularly of the finger tips, the device being especially useful in situations where an operator must rapidly turn pages, count money or otherwise rapidly and accurately handle articles of paper or the like.

The disclosure contemplates an interlayer of absorbent material disposed between impervious leaves, the interlayer being saturated with a solution comprising glycerine, water and gelatin, the device being so constructed as at all times to permit a widthwise edge of the interlayer to be exposed to the atmosphere. Such a construction results in the pad or interlayer being constantly maintained in a desired, moist condition whereby when the finger tips of the user are applied against the interlayer, a controlled coating having a high coefiicient of friction will be deposited thereon, in an amount sufficient to accomplish the desired purpose but not sufiicient to stain the articles being fingered.

The device has the property of not requiring subsequent reimpregnation for a period of about six months.

The invention may be summarized as comprising a composite pad, such as may be used as a component of a key ring or a like item, which may be placed in the pocket or purse of the user. There is disposed between upper and lower liquid impervious leaves of a material such as vinyl, rubber, leather or the like, a saturable padof communicating cell foam, fabric or other absorptive material. A measured amount of impregnant comprising a glycerine, water and gelatin solution is impregnated into the porous interlayer, and means are provided for maintaining the upper and lower protective leaves in contact with the upper and lower faces of the interlayer.

The device has the property, when the fingers are placed against the interlayer, of forming on the fingers a coating having a high coefiicient of friction.

The impregnant has the property of drawing from the atmosphere a sufiicient quantity of moisture constantly to maintain the porous layer in a condition for applying the desired amount of coating to the fingers.

By reason of the moisture absorptive properties of the impregnant, the device may be used up to about six months without the need for remoistening or reimpregnating the same.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a device for increasing the coefiicient of friction of the digits of a user, which device may be carried in the pocket or purse of the user without fear of staining.

A further object is the provision of a device of the class described which will maintain its friction-increasing properties for long periods of time without replenishment of the impregnant due to the moisture attracting properties of the impregnant and the construction of the device which permits the moisture attracting properties to be 'efi ective, While at the same time preventing leaking of the impregnant to adjacent clothing or the like.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an article in accordance with the invention, with one of the leaves lifted to permit contacting the fingers therewith;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

In accordance with the invention, a suitable applicator device 10 comprises upper and lower leaves 11, 12 of moisture impervious material, such as flexible vinyl plastic, rubber, leather or the like.

Preferably the leaves may be comprised of a single, extended sheet of vinyl, folded in the fashion of a book cover to define a back 13 about an interlayer 14. The interlayer 14 is preferably comprised of a foamed material having an intercommunicating cellular structure. The material may be comprised of foamed rubber, polyurethane, natural sponge, felt, or even an absorbent fabric material. Preferably, the interlayer 14 is of a substantial thickness, in the order of about /s" to A1". Further, the leaves 11, 12 which outwardly lap the upper and lower surfaces of the interlayer are of a slightly larger size, in plan, than the size of the interlayer. The amount of overlap at the edges of the leaves with respect to the interlayer is preferably relatively small, to avoid the possibility that the upper and lower leaves may engage each other and thus seal or enclose the side marginal edges of the interlayer.

Otherwise stated, it is desired that the size of the interlayer and leaves and the thickness of the interlayer be coordinated to maintain the three marginal edges of the interlayer which are not adjacent the back portion 13 exposed to the atmosphere.

In the illustrated embodiment, the parts are maintained in the desired position by an eyelet assembly 15 extending through the three layers of the above described structure, a key chain 16 being depicted as threaded through the aperture of the eyelet.

The interlayer 14 is impregnated with a solution next to be described.

Basically, the impregnant solution comprises .a water and glycerine mixture to which minor amounts of gelatin and sugar may be added.

The impregnant solution may consist of from about 40 to about 95% by weight of glycerine and from about 60 to about 5% by weight of water. To this solution there may be added about 1% by weight of gelatin and/or about 1 to about 3% by weight of a soluble sugar.

In accordance with a preferred formulation, the impregnant consists of:

Parts by weight Glycerine Water 10 Gelatin 1 Sugar 1 The prepared impregnant solution is preferably applied to the absorbent interlayer in such quantity that the interlayer is not so fully saturated as to leak or show evidence of quantities of collected moisture on the fingers under the application of moderate digital pressure. It is best to avoid full saturation of the interlayer since it has been found that small quantities of fluid, such as may be deposited on the fingers by the application of light pressure, are completely satisfactory to render the fingers highly tacky for the handling of paper, and permit the rapid turning of pages, counting of money, etc. without depositing a staining quantity of the impregnant on the paper items handled.

In accordance with the specific example, wherein the interlayer comprises a sponge rubber pad of about 2" by about 3", of a thickness of about it has been found that the application of about teaspoon of the impregnant solution size, so treated, is lightly touched by the fingers, there will be no visible trace of impregnant left on the fingers, yet the fingers will retain, for a protracted period, a coating having a high coeflicient of friction, to permit rapid turning of pages, counting of money, etc.

An important feature of the invention is the ability of the thus impregnated pad to draw from the atmosphere suflicient quantities of moisture to maintain the pad in a condition which is highly desirable for use for its intended purpose. Thus, it has been found that by permitting a sidewisely directed portion of the impregnated pad to remain open to the atmosphere, a continuously moist condition is maintained in the pad. It is therefore possible to use the device repeatedly for periods of up to about six months without requiring any replacement of the impregnant.

In practice, in view of the fact that the device is constructed of inexpensive materials, the device may be disposed of after six months and replaced, rather than reimpregnated.

While the illustrated embodiment relates to a structure particularly intended to be carried on a key chain, it should be readily apparent that other means of maintaining the leaves in the desired position may be employed. Thus, for instance, where the interlayer and the leaves are all fabricated of heat soluble plastic material, it is conceivable to heat sealingly connect the leaves to the interlayer.

In contrast to finger moistener devices heretofore known which generally comprise containers of water into which the fingers may be dipped, the above described device has the particular advantages of increasing friction without actually contacting the touched article with staining or saturating quantities of fluid, lng life without refilling, and protracted effectiveness on the fingers, so as to obviate the need for frequent retreatment of the fingers.

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, what is claimed as new and is designed to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for enhancing digital coefiicient of friction to facilitate handling of papers and the like, comprising upper and lower congruent, moisture impervious leaf members, a generally planar interlayer interposed between said leaf members, the upper and lower planar 1s satisfactory. When a pad of the noted.

faces of said interlayer being disposed in parallel, sandwiched relation between said leaf members, said interlayer being of a smaller size than said leaf members, peripheral portions of said leaf members extending laterally beyond the peripheral portions of said interlayer, the thickness. of said interlayer being sufiicient to maintain the marginal edges of said leaf members in spaced-apart, non-engaging condition, whereby said peripheral portions of said interlayer remain exposed to the atmosphere, said interlayer having absorvedtherein an impregnant solution comprising glycerine and water including from about 40 to about 95% by weight glycerine and about to about 5% by weight water. I

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said solution is applied to said pad in quantity suflicient to coat a finger applied against said pad with light pressure without depositing a visible trace of said solution.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2 wherein said interlayer comprises a cellular foam material. 7

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said impregnant includes about 1% by weight gelatin.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said upper and lower leaf members are integrally formed comprising a single sheet folded about a fold line disposed adjacent one end of said device, said device including an eyelet member extending through said leaf members and interlayer adjacent said fold line, said eyelet member maintaining said leaf members in said folded condition.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said impregnant includes about 1 to about 3% by Weight of sugar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,056,067 3/1913 Sporer 15605 1,107,977 8/1914 Miller 15-209 1,143,614 6/1915 Criswell 15-506 2,093,824 9/ 1937 Woronoff.

2,288,714 7/1942 Jones 15--506 2,999,265 9/1961 Duane et al. 15506 3,082,468 3/1963 Wattles 15---506 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT I. SMITH, Assistant Examiner. 

